Lagos APC defends Tinubu’s tax reform

The Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed claims that the Federal Government’s tax reform targets poor Nigerians.

APC Spokesman, Seye Oladejo, in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos, said critics of the reform were driven by misinformation, sensationalism and deliberate political mischief.

“We consider it imperative in the interest of truth, national stability, and informed civic engagement, to set the records straight – beyond politics.

“First, it must be clearly stated that the new tax reform is not a weapon against the poor, nor is it an attempt to overburden struggling Nigerians.

“On the contrary, the reform is deliberately structured to protect low-income earners, expand exemptions, and introduce a more progressive, fair, and humane tax system that aligns with global best practices.

“Contrary to the alarmist narratives peddled by the opposition, Nigerians earning within the lowest income brackets are either fully exempt or will experience reduced tax exposure under the new regime.

“The reform targets efficiency, equity, and accountability – not punishment.

“Those who have chosen to weaponise falsehoods against this policy have done so out of either ignorance or calculated desperation,” Oladejo said.

According to him, Nigeria can no longer run a modern economy on an archaic, fragmented, and oil-dependent tax structure.

He said for decades, the nation suffered from multiple taxation, overlapping mandates, leakages, and weak enforcement -a system that stifled businesses, discouraged investment, and rewarded tax evasion.

“This reform decisively confronts those failures,” he said.

According to Oladejo, for businesses, particularly Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the reform simplifies compliance, removes nuisance taxes, and creates a more predictable fiscal environment.

“For large corporations, it promotes fairness by ensuring that profitable entities contribute their equitable share to national development. This is not anti-business; it is pro-growth, pro-investment, and pro-Nigeria,” he added.

According to him, taxation is not an end in itself but a means to fund infrastructure, education, healthcare, security, and social protection.

“Nations that develop do so on the strength of a functional social contract -where citizens contribute and governments deliver.

“President Bola Tinubu’s administration is rebuilding that contract with courage and clarity,” he said.

He, therefore, urged Nigerians to resist the politics of fear and distortion.
“Let us not reduce serious fiscal reforms to cheap political talking points.

“The same voices shouting today are those who presided over years of fiscal indiscipline, economic stagnation, and policy incoherence.

“They lack both the moral authority and the intellectual honesty to lecture Nigerians on economic management,” Oladejo said.

He acknowledged that reforms required continuous public engagement, transparency, and sensitivity in implementation.

The spokesman said that though constructive criticism is welcome, falsehoods, however, would be firmly rejected.

He said: “History has shown that difficult but necessary decisions are the hallmark of responsible leadership.

“The new tax reform is one such decision – designed not for the next election cycle, but for the next generation.

“Beyond politics, beyond propaganda, and beyond fear -the truth is that Nigeria is laying the foundation for a stronger, fairer, and more sustainable economic future.”

Oladejo said the tax reform was designed for long-term national development, not short-term political gains. (NAN)